STATE  AND  LOCAL 
HISTORICAL  SOCIETIES 


B  Y 


REUBEN    GOLD    THWAITES 


REPRINTED  FROM  THE  APRII,  1906  NUMBER  OF 
THE  IOWA  JOURNAL  OF  HISTORY  AND  POLITICS 
PUBLISHED  AT  IOWA  CITY  IOWA  BY  THE 
STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  IOWA 


STATE  AND  LOCAL  HISTORICAL 
SOCIETIES 


f/75 
•t 

-T1 


Lirary 


STATE  AND  LOCAL  HISTORICAL  SOCIETIES 

At  a  meeting  of  the  American  Historical  Association  held 
in  Chicago  in  December,  1904,  Professor  Henry  E.  Bourne, 
of  Western  Reserve  University,  and  chairman  of  the  Asso 
ciation's  general  committee,  presented  a  report  upon  The 
Work  of  American  Historical  Societies. 1  This  was  based 
upon  an  inquiry  conducted  by  him  into  the  scope  and  work 
of  the  principal  societies,  and  was  an  interesting  and  suggest 
ive  preliminary  survey  of  the  field.  As  a  result  of  the  Bourne 
report,  the  Council  of  the  Association  appointed  Mr.  Benj. 
F.  Shanibaugh,  Mr.  Franklin  L.  Riley,  and  the  undersigned, 
as  a  sub-committee  of  the  general  committee,  charged  with 
reporting  at  the  1905  meeting  upon  The  Best  Methods  of 
Organization  and  Work  on  the  Part  of  State  and  Local 
Historical  Societies. 

The  task  thus  assigned  was  found  to  be  far  from  a  holiday 
undertaking.  As  Professor  Bourne  pointed  out:  "They 
[the  societies]  are  as  diverse  in  aim  and  organization  as  the 
localities  where  they  work  or  the  periods  when  they  origin 
ated."  To  attempt  to  prescribe  a  set  of  rules  for  the  com: 
mon  conduct  of  institutions  widely  divergent  in  origin,  per- 
sonelle,  purpose,  and  income  was  obviously  impracticable. 
The  committee,  therefore,  has  been  only  able  to  extend  and 
supplement  the  Bourne  inquiry,  to  present  in  detail  the  con- 


1  This  report  appeared  in  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics  for  April, 
1905,  also  in  the  Annual  Report  of  the  American  Historical  Association  for  1904, 
pp.  117-127. 


siderable  mass  of  data  obtained,  and  to  offer  a  few  practical 
suggestions  based  upon  this  data  and  the  individual  observa 
tions  and  experiences  of  its  members. 

STATISTICAL 

The  committee  were  convinced  that  they  could  not  act  in 
telligently  without  first  making  as  thorough  an  investigation 
as  possible  of  the  resources,  activities,  and  aims  of  the  histor 
ical  organizations  of  the  country.  A  blank  was  prepared 
for  this  purpose,  following  the  general  lines  of  the  Bourne 
inquiry,  but  much  more  detailed.  This,  with  an  accom 
panying  letter,  was  mailed  early  in  February,  1905,  to  the 
secretaries  of  societies  concerned — the  mailing  list  being 
compiled  from  the  Bibliography  of  Historical  Societies  pub 
lished  by  the  American  Historical  Association  in  1895,  the 
Carnegie  Institution's  Handbook  of  Learned  Societies,  and 
other  sources. 

By  agreement  between  the  members,  Mr.  Riley  under 
took  to  secure  and  compile  reports  from  the  societies  in  the 
Southern  States;  Mr.  Shambaugh  from  those  of  the  trans- 
Mississippi  States  (except  Arkansas,  Louisiana,  and  Texas); 
and  Mr.  Thwaites  from  those  of  the  Northern  States  east  of 
the  Mississippi.  The  committee  held  a  two  days'  session  at 
Iowa  City,  Iowa,  May  16-17,  1905,  discussed  the  replies, 
and  arrived  at  certain  conclusions  which  are  presented  below. 

The  majority  of  the  active  organizations  reported  prompt 
ly;  others  required  prodding;  even  to  the  present  date,  a 
few  have  failed  to  respond  to  continued  requests.  Reluc 
tance  to  reply  has  generally  been  traceable  to  two  widely 
divergent  reasons:  serene  self -content  on  the  part  of  con 
servative  and  comfortably  endowed  organizations  displaying 


small  interest  in  a  cooperative  movement  of  this  character; 
or  to  indifference  bred  of  hopeless  local  conditions.  In  the 
responses  of  a  few  of  the  older  societies  was  noticeable  a 
tone  implying  that  we  had  committed  an  impertinence  in 
thus  inquisitively  intruding  into  their  placid  lives.  The  net 
result  was  the  receipt  of  a  body  of  useful,  although  quite 
unequal,  data  from  nineteen  national  organizations  (exclusive 
of  the  American  Historical  Association)  having  more  or  less 
to  do  with  historical  work,  eight  sectional,  sixty -one  State, 
and  one  hundred  ten  local.  While  there  are  regrettable- 
omissions,  it  may  confidently  be  asserted  that  practically 
every  important  historical  society  or  department  in  the 
United  States  is  included  in  the  several  lists  which  have  been 
prepared. 

Of  the  national  societies  engaged  in  the  collection  and. 
publication  of  historical  material — for  obvious  reasons  the 
American  Historical  Association  is  not  included — easily  the 
most  important  in  library  and  resources,  is  the  American 
Antiquarian  Society.  Its  substantial  building  at  Worcester,, 
Massachusetts,  contains  120,000  volumes  and  a  valuable 
collection  of  manuscripts,  portraits,  and  antiques.  The 
American  Geographical  Society,  at  New  York,  is  housed  in  a 
$200,000  building  and  possesses  a  library  of  40,000  vol 
umes.  Other  flourishing  bodies  are  the  American  Numis 
matic  and  Archaeological  Society  of  New  York,  the  Daugh 
ters  of  the  American  Ke volution  (with  a  large  building  in 
Washington,  now  in  process  of  construction),  and  the  Jew 
ish  Publication  Society  of  America. 

The  list  of  sectional  societies  embraces  many  that  are 
doing  important  work.  The  wealthiest  and  most  effective 


of  these  is  the  New  England  Historic  Genealogical  Society, 
of  Boston,  housed  in  a  building  worth  $65,000  and  having 
a  library  of  66,000  titles.  It  possesses,  also,  notable  col 
lections  of  manuscripts,  and  a  large  museum  of  portraits, 
curios,  and  antiques.  The  Confederate  Memorial  Literary 
Society,  of  Richmond,  owns  a  museum  and  grounds  valued 
at  $60, 000,  and  an  interesting  library  of  printed  and  manu 
script  material  relating  to  the  history  of  the  South  prior  to 
the  War  of  Secession.  The  Pacific  Coast  Branch  of  the 
American  Historical  Association,  while  as  yet  not  engaged 
in  collection  or  publication,  has  a  promising  future  as  the 
proposed  medium  of  cooperation  between  the  various  his 
torical  organizations  on  the  Western  coast. 

As  a  class,  the  State  societies  and  departments  were  the 
most  punctilious  in  their  replies.  Not  all  of  the  responses 
were  satisfactory  in  character;  but  while  there  are  serious 
gaps,  enough  information  was  elicited  to  enable  the  com 
mittee  to  present  a  fairly  complete  survey  of  the  situation. 

It  was  found  that  twelve  societies  or  departments  own 
their  own  halls — those  valued  at  $100,000  or  over  being: 
Wisconsin,  $610,000;  Iowa  Department,  $400,000;  Massa 
chusetts,  $225,000;  Pennsylvania,  $200,000;  and  New  Jer 
sey,  $100,000.  Thirteen  are  housed  in  their  respective 
State  capitols,  seven  are  quartered  in  State  universities,  and 
six  in  other  public  buildings.  The  largest  State  appropri 
ations  are  given  to  Wisconsin,  $32,000;  Minnesota,  $15,- 
000;  and  Iowa,  $15,000.1  The  Massachusetts,  Pennsyl 
vania,  and  Wisconsin  societies  are  of  course  the  wealthiest 


1  This  includes  both  the  State  Historical  Society  at  Iowa  City  and  the  Histor 
ical  Department  at  Des  Moines. 


in  endowments,  possessing  respectively  $221,000,  $169,- 
000,  and  $53,000  in  invested  funds.  The  largest  libraries 
are:  Wisconsin,  275,000  titles;  Pennsylvania,  245,000; 
Massachusetts,  155,000;  Kansas,  115,000;  and  New  Hamp 
shire,  100,000. 

The  reports  from  local  societies  are  unequal,  so  that 
doubtless  many  fairly  active  small  societies  are  not  on  our 
lists;  we  have  reason  to  believe,  however,  that  nearly  all 
engaged  in  publication  or  having  libraries  or  museums  are 
represented.  Some  of  the  local  societies  are  institutions  of 
considerable  importance.  The  Essex  Institute,  of  Salem, 
Massachusetts,  with  its  income  of  $15,000,  library  of  400,- 
000  titles,  and  building  valued  at  $28,000,  easily  takes 
rank  with  the  State  societies.  So  also  do  the  JSTew  York 
(City)  Historical  Society,  with  1,057  members,  endowment 
funds  aggregating  $236,000,  yearly  income  of  $12,800,  and 
a  building  costing  $400,000;  the  Chicago  Historical  Society, 
with  a  library  of  100,000  titles  housed  in  a  $185,000  build 
ing,  and  supported  by  endowment  funds  aggregating  $96,- 
000;  the  Long  Island  Historical  Society,  of  Brooklyn,  with 
70,000  titles  in  its  own  building;  the  Western  Reserve,  of 
Cleveland,  with  60,000  titles  in  a  $55,000  building;  the 
Worcester  (Mass.)  Society  of  Antiquities,  housing  55,000 
titles  within  a  building  valued  at  $25,000;  and  the  Buffalo 
Historical  Society,  which  dwells  in  a  $200,000  building,  has 
a  library  of  16,000  titles,  and  receives  a  municipal  grant  of 
$5,000  per  annum  (the  only  instance  of  this  sort  that  has 
come  under  our  notice). 

Many  of  those  owning  much  smaller  libraries  and  museums, 
quartered  in  less  costly  houses,  are  also  institutions  wielding 


a  wide  influence  in  historical  study.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
the  considerable  number  finding  lodgment  in  public  library 
buildings,  a  significant  connection  promising  well  for  both 
organizations.  In  several  of  the  Eastern  States,  notably  in 
Massachusetts,  where  nearly  every  town  possesses  an  histor 
ical  society  as  well  as  a  public  library,  the  former  frequently 
owns  or  rents  some  historic  building,  generally  a  colonial 
farmhouse  which,  often  with  excellent  taste,  has  been  con 
verted  into  a  public  museum.  This  is  an  example  well 
worth  following  by  other  local  societies.  In  the  South  and 
the  Middle  West  are  many  communities  with  historic  struc 
tures  that  might  be  preserved  for  a  like  purpose. 

ORGANIZATION 

Each  historical  society  is  in  large  measure  the  product  of 
local  conditions  and  opportunities.  But  back  of  these, 
moulding  conditions  and  taking  advantage  of  opportunities, 
are  needed  individuals  imbued  with  genuine  and  self -sacrific 
ing  enthusiasm  in  the  cause.  However,  enthusiasm  will  not 
alone  suffice;  for  the  promoters  of  such  enterprises  should 
by  their  erudition  and  technical  skill  command  the  attention 
and  respect  of  scholars,  while  by  display  of  practical  com 
mon  sense,  business  ability,  energy,  and  convincing  argu 
ments,  they  are  at  the  same  time  winning  the  confidence  of 
hard-headed  men  of  affairs.  Very  likely  this  is  an  unusual 
combination  of  qualities,  and  an  ideal  seldom  if  ever  real 
ized,  for  historical  societies  can  not  pay  large  salaries.  Cer 
tain  it  is,  however,  that  even  when  liberally  endowed,  no 
society  has  attained  its  full  measure  of  usefulness  without 
some  such  personality  dominating  its  affairs.  Institutions 
dependent  upon  State  aid  are  peculiarly  in  need  of  this  vig- 


9 

orous  personal  management.  The  lack  of  it  has  been  the 
undoing  of  a  goodly  share  of  the  wrecked  or  moribund 
societies — wherein  everybody's  business  was  nobody's  con 
cern — that  strew  the  pathway  of  our  recent  investigation. 

The  Massachusetts  and  Pennsylvania  societies  are  proto 
types  of  the  privately -endowed  organizations  of  the  East 
ern  States,  which  without  official  patronage  have  attained 
strength  and  a  high  degree  of  usefulness;  while  Wisconsin, 
Minnesota,  Iowa,  and  Kansas  similarly  stand  for  the  State - 
supported  institutions  of  the  West. 

Of  recent  years,  there  has  appeared  in  several  com 
monwealths  the  "State  Department  of  Archives  and  His 
tory."  This  is  an  official  bureau  of  the  Commonwealth, 
obtaining  the  essential  personal  touch  through  maintenance 
of  close  relations  with  the  State  historical  society,  whose 
duties,  under  such  conditions,  are  chiefly  literary  and  advis 
ory.  Alabama  and  Mississippi  are  the  typical  examples; 
out  in  Iowa  the  State  society,  at  the  seat  of  the  State  Uni 
versity,  retains  a  strong  individuality  in  all  lines  of  activity, 
despite  the  existence  of  a  liberally -supported  historical 
department  at  the  capital;  in  Kansas  the  society  has  charge 
of  the  department. 

As  to  which  method  is  best  for  new  Commonwealths — 
that  of  the  Alabama  type,  that  of  Wisconsin,  that  of  the 
Iowa  compromise,  or  that  of  the  Kansas  union — your  com 
mittee  will  not  venture  an  opinion.  Each  has  certain  merits, 
largely  dependent  on  conditions  of  environment. 

When  subsidized  as  the  trustee  of  the  State,  the  society 
has  the  advantage  of  official  connection  and  support  com 
bined  with  a  strong,  effective  personal  interest  among  its 


10 

widely  distributed  membership;  but  there  is  always  a  lurk 
ing  danger  of  an  outbreak  of  political  jealousy  of  a  quasi- 
private  organization  being  awarded  even  the  officially-guard 
ed  expenditure  of  public  funds,  and  legislative  interference  is 
always  possible.  While  it  lacks  the  inspiration  of  personal 
backing,  the  department  stands  closer  to  the  machinery  of 
government,  and  although,  under  careful  laws,  removed 
from  liability  to  partisan  control,  is  not  likely  in  the  course 
of  its  work  to  arouse  official  jealousy.  Its  greatest  danger 
lies  in  the  possibility  that  the  performance  of  its  work  may 
in  time  become  perfunctory,  when  the  public-spirited  found 
ers  of  the  department  have  retired  from  service.1 

After  all,  the  principal  desideratum  is,  as  we  have  indi 
cated,  the  personality  back  of  th,e  work,  rather  than  the 
form  of  organization.  It  would  be  unwise,  even  if  possible, 
to  attempt  the  making  over  of  men  or  of  methods,  that  in 
their  respective  environments  either  promise  or  have  already 
attained  satisfactory  results.  What  is  needed,  rather,  is  the 
betterment  of  existing  methods,  and  especially  the  enlisting 
in  the  service  of  well-trained  and  vigorous  executive  officers. 

Inspired,  doubtless,  by  the  example  of  the  Wisconsin 
society,  which  is  in  close,  although  not  official,  connection 
with  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  there  has  recently  been 
a  strong  tendency  on  the  part  of  Western  and  Southern  his 
torical  agencies  to  associate  themselves  with  their  State  unL 
versities.  At  the  university  town,  of  all  communities  in 
the  State,  exists  a  body  of  scholars  who  can  most  profitably 
utilize  the  collections  of  the  historical  society.  The  schol- 

1  See  R.  G.  Thwaites,  State-supported  Historical  Societies  and  their  Functions, 
in  Annual  Report  of  American  Historical  Association  for  1897,  pp.  61-71. 


11 

ars  need  the  inspiration  of  persistent,  intelligent  collection 
and  publication;  the  society  managers  need  the  academic 
atmosphere  and  academic  counsel  in  and  with  which  to 
broaden  and  solidify  their  work;  while  the  historical  library 
finds  its  raison  d  ''etre  in  the  largest  possible  clientele  of  users. 
Recognition  of  these  facts  has,  wherever  possible,  led  to  a 
closer  union  between  society  and  university;  but  in  several 
States,  as  in  Missouri  and  Washington,  where  union  with 
existing  agencies  seemed  impracticable  to  the  universities, 
the  latter  have  secured  the  organization  of  rival  State  socie 
ties  at  their  own  seats.  Such  an  arrangement,  while  doubt 
less  benefiting  the  universities,  is  apt  to  result  in  divided 
interest  and  appropriations.  In  several  Western  States,  dif 
ficulties  of  this  character  present  problems  that  doubtless 
will  be  many  years  in  the  solution. 

SCOPE    AND    PUEPOSE 

Some  historical  organizations  are  founded  for  a  single, 
well-defined  purpose — such  as  the  Society  for  the  History  of 
the  Germans  in  Maryland,  the  City  History  Club  of  New 
York,  and  the  Germantown  Site  and  Relic  Society — these  of 
course  find  no  difficulty  in  determining  their  functions.  But 
some  of  the  more  general  societies,  especially  in  the  newer 
States,  appear  to  be  confused  in  this  respect,  and  queries  are 
frequently  raised  as  to  their  proper  scope. 

In  the  judgment  of  the  committee,  an  historical  society, 
be  it  sectional,  State,  or  local,  should  collect  all  manner  of 
archaeological,  anthropological,  historical,  and  genealogical 
material  bearing  upon  the  particular  territory  which  that  so 
ciety  seeks  to  represent.  The  problem  would  be  simplified, 
were  the  ideal  recognized  that,  wherever  practicable,  there 


12 

should  in  each  State  be  some  one  place  where  all  manner  of 
historical  data  relative  to  the  Commonwealth  at  large  should 
be  placed  for  preservation  and  consultation;  and  in  each 
community  or  county  a  similar  treasure  house  for  its  purely 
local  records  and  relics. 

It  would  be  superfluous  in  the  present  report — which  is 
not  intended  as  an  elementary  treatise — to  set  forth  in  de 
tail  the  lines  of  work  along  which  a  local  historical  society 
may  profitably  employ  itself.  But  we  venture  to  make 
these  general  suggestions:  Such  an  institution  may  properly 
make  an  accurate  survey  of  the  archaeology  and  ethnology 
of  its  district;  not  only  itself  acquiring  a  collection  illustrat 
ing  the  same,  but  entering  into  fraternal  relations  with 
neighboring  collectors,  private  and  public,  and  perhaps  pub 
lishing  a  cooperative  check-list.  The  records  of  the  county 
government  (or  of  the  town,  the  village,  or  the  city),  of  the 
courts,  the  churches,  and  the  schools  should  at  least  be  listed 
if  they  cannot  actually  be  procured.  Diaries  of  original 
settlers,  mercantile  account-books,  anniversary  sermons,  pri 
vate  letters  describing  early  life  and  manners,  field-books  of 
surveyors,  etc.,  are  valuable  manuscripts  worthy  of  system 
atic  collection.  Local  newspaper  files  are  an  important 
source  of  information,  and  should  assiduously  be  collected 
and  preserved.  Pioneers  should  be  "interviewed"  by  per 
sons  themselves  conversant  with  the  details  of  local  history. 
All  manner  of  miscellaneous  local  printed  matter  should  be 
secured,  such  as  society,  church,  and  club  year-books,  pro 
grammes  of  local  entertainments,  catalogues  and  memorabilia 
of  educational  or  other  public  and  private  institutions  within 


13 

the  prescribed  field  of  research — nothing  of  this  sort  conies 
amiss  to  the  historical  student.1 

Collections  are  naturally  classified  into  libraries,  museums, 
and  portrait  galleries.  Into  the  library  are  properly  depos 
ited  all  manner  of  manuscripts,  books,  pamphlets,  leaflets, 
broadsides,  newspaper  files,  etc.  They  should  be  scientific 
ally  catalogued,  so  far  as  funds  will  allow,  the  manuscripts 
being  if  possible  calendared,  or  in  any  event  indexed ;  the 
least  that  can  be  expected  is,  that  manuscripts  be  properly 
listed  on  standard  catalogue  cards.  In  the  museum  and  gal 
lery  there  should  be  deposited  all  portraits  or  relics  bearing 
on  the  manners,  early  life,  or  personelle  of  the  community 
or  region.  Public  museums  are  frequently  presented  with 
embarrassing  gifts;  but  tact  and  diplomacy  can  usually  be 
depended  on  for  eventual  elimination.  Perhaps  in  no  de 
partment  of  a  society's  work  are  common  sense  and  the 
trained  judgment  of  the  professed  historical  worker  more 
frequently  needed  than  in  the  conduct  of  the  museum. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  features  of  collection,  when 
properly  selected  and  administered;  but  unfortunately  too 
many  of  our  American  societies  are  the  victims  of  undis- 
criminating  antiquarianism — collection  for  collection's  sake, 
without  method  or  definite  notion  as  to  the  actual  scholarly 
value  of  the  relic.  Nothing  is  more  deadly,  in  historical 
work,  than  unmeaning  museums  of  "popular  attractions." 

In  several  of  our  States,  the  archives  of  the  Common 
wealth  are,  when  ceasing  to  be  of  immediate  value  in  the  ad- 

1  Consult  the  following  Bulletins  of  Information  issued  by  the  "Wisconsin  His 
torical  Society:  No.  12,  "Suggestions  to  Local  Historians  in  Wisconsin";  No.  25, 
4'The  Gathering  of  Local  History  Material,  by  Public  Libraries";  No.  9,  "How 
Local  History  Material  is  Preserved." 


14 

ininistrative  offices — udead  documents,"  they  have  somewhat 
inappropriately  been  termed — committed  to  the  care  of  the 
State  historical  society  or  department  of  history.  While 
eminently  desirable,  this  disposition  is,  for  various  reasons, 
not  immediately  possible  of  attainment  in  every  State.  The 
State  society  or  department  may,  however,  properly  interest 
itself  in  seeing  that  the  archives  are  conveniently  located  and 
carefully  preserved  by  public  officials;  and  where  practica 
ble,  offer  expert  advice  as  to  their  proper  administration. 

METHODS    OF    PRESENTATION 

The  gathering  of  material  is  of  basic  importance;  but 
much  greater  skill  is  required  adequately  to  disseminate  that 
material.  So  far  as  practicable,  this  should  be  published, 
in  order  to  secure  the  widest  possible  publicity  and  conse 
quent  usefulness. 

The  publications  of  historical  societies  may  contain  both 
the  original  material,  or  " sources,"  and  the  finished  product, 
in  the  form  of  monographs,  essays,  or  addresses.  State  so 
cieties  should  certainly  include  in  their  publications  every 
thing  of  value  to  students  to  be  found  in  the  archives  of  the 
Commonwealth;  local  organizations  may  with  equal  profit 
search  their  several  county  and  municipal  records  for  all 
data  of  historical  importance.  Bibliographies  and  check 
lists  of  publications  relative  to  State  and  local  history  are 
also  desirable. 

These  publications  should  be  well  and  attractively  printed, 
on  good  paper,  and  as  skillfully  edited  as  possible.  So  far 
as  the  canons  of  scholarship  will  allow,  they  should  be  capa 
ble  of  popular  understanding  and  appreciation.  The  mass 


15 

of  publications  by  our  American  societies  is  large,  although 
by  no  means  as  extensive  as  it  properly  might  be.  Unfor 
tunately,  neither  the  dictates  of  typographical  taste  nor  of 
scholarship  have  always  been  followed,  so  that  we  have  upon 
our  library  shelves  devoted  to  State  and  local  annals  much 
that  is  inaccurate  as  to  matter,  mechanically  execrable,  and 
in  general  slipshod.  It  is  high  time  that  those  historical  so 
cieties  sinning  in  this  respect  bestir  themselves,  and  inaugu 
rate  a  more  scientific  treatment  of  fcheir  otherwise  useful  ma 
terial.  We  have  come  to  the  stage  that  competent  editors 
are  needed  quite  as  much  as  indefatigable  collectors. 

State  or  local  bibliography  is  an  important  and  much 
needed  work,  that  may  well  be  undertaken  by  historical 
societies,  each  in  its  own  class.  The  example  of  The  State 
Historical  Society  of  Iowa  in  inaugurating  a  monographic 
industrial  history  of  that  State,  and  a  reprint  of  important 
State  papers,  is  worthy  of  emulation.  Many  local  societies 
are,  in  our  opinion,  spending  far  too  largely  of  their  sub 
stance  in  genealogical  research  and  publications.  With 
numerous  professed  genealogical  societies  in  the  field,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  often  useful  patriotic  hereditary  chap 
ters — too  few  of  which,  however,  are  publishing  things  worth 
while — the  general  historical  organization  may  with  more 
appropriateness  devote  itself  chiefly  to  the  abundant  task  of 
putting  forth  documentary  material  and  monographs  bear 
ing  upon  its  field.  Any  enterprising  and  skillfully  con 
ducted  society,  once  entering  upon  publication,  will  find  the 
possibilities  in  this  direction  practically  endless.  Bancroft  Library 

The  methods  of  distribution  of  publications  should  be 
carefully  considered.  It  is  important  that  material  deemed 


16 

worthy  of  permanent  preservation  in  printed  form  should  be 
placed  where  it  will  be  of  the  greatest  possible  use  to  schol- 
.ars.  In  our  opinion,  the  Library  of  Congress  should,  as  the 
national  library,  be  an  early  recipient  of  all  such  publica 
tions;  next,  the  largest  and  most  frequented  reference  libra 
ries  throughout  the  United  States  should  be  selected  as 
natural  repositories,  whether  the  publishing  society  is  or  is 
not  in  regular  exchange  therewith;  exchange  arrangements 
should,  as  far  as  possible,  be  entered  into  with  kindred  soci 
eties  throughout  the  State  and  country;  naturally,  the  mem 
bers  of  the  society  and  the  public  libraries  of  the  State  and 
neighborhood  will  be  upon  the  permanent  mailing  list.  A 
society  that  does  not  thus  disseminate  its  publications  where 
they  can  do  the  most  good,  is  in  so  far  neglecting  its  duty 
to  American  historical  scholarship. 

The  museum  is  also  an  important,  although  necessarily 
limited,  means  of  presentation  of  material.  With  tasteful 
and  carefully  phrased  labels,  changing  exhibits  of  books  and 
manuscripts,  loan  collections,  lectures  to  teachers  and  pupils 
of  the  public  schools,  bibliographical  references,  etc. ,  much 
may  here  be  done  to  arouse  and  maintain  public  interest. 

INTEKESTING    THE    PUBLIC 

Indeed,  this  matter  of  arousing  and  maintaining  public 
interest  is,  of  itself,  an  important  function  of  an  historical 
society;  but  obviously  this  should  be  an  intelligent,  discrim 
inating  interest.  Field  meetings,  popular  lectures,  work 
with  the  schools,  some  measure  of  coordination  with  the  pio 
neer  and  old  settlers'  societies  of  the  district,  pilgrimages  to 
places  of  historic  interest,  the  promotion  of  anniversary  cele- 


17 

brations,  and  the  placing  of  tablets  upon  historic  sites,  all  of 
these  are  within  the  province  of  the  society. 

The  enlistment  of  college  and  university  interests  is  like 
wise  highly  desirable,  especially  in  the  matter  of  research 
and  preparing  material  for  publications ;  although  in  becom 
ing  academic  the  society  should  be  careful  not  to  remove 
itself  too  far  from  the  understanding  and  sympathy  of  the 
common  people.  Popularity  and  exact  scholarship  are  not 
incompatible.  One  of  the  principal  aims  of  an  historical 
society  should  be  the  cultivation  among  the  masses  of  that 
civic  patriotism  which  is  inevitably  the  outgrowth  of  an  at 
tractive  presentation  of  local  history. 

Logically,  there  is  no  reason  why  the  work  of  collecting 
and  disseminating  historical  material  should  not  be  quite  as 
much  a  public  charge  as  that  of  the  public  library  or  of  the 
public  museum.  But  the  fact  that  historical  work  appears 
to  be  best  prosecuted  by  individual  enthusiasm,  seems  to 
render  essential  the  society  organization;  and  in  many  com 
munities  it  is,  as  already  intimated,  difficult  to  convince 
legislative  assemblies  that  a  semi-private  body  should  re 
ceive  public  aid.  This  objection  is  not  insuperable,  pro 
vided  there  are  not,  as  in  some  States,  likewise  constitutional 
barriers.  In  the  West,  arrangements  have  been  entered 
into  whereby  the  society,  in  accepting  public  aid,  becomes 
the  trustee  of  the  Commonwealth,  as  the  custodian  of  State 
property;  yet  in  no  sense  does  the  society  surrender  its 
scholastic  individuality.  In  Buffalo,  the  local  society  bears 
much  the  same  relationship  to  the  municipality,  in  return  for 
the  latter's  annual  stipend.  Even  under  the  most  favorable 
political  conditions,  however,  there  is  small  chance  for  the 


18 

historical  society  obtaining  official  aid  unless  its  work  is  win 
ning  popular  appreciation. 

COOPERATION 

No  historical  society  in  the  United  States,  State  or  local, 
is  so  powerful  that  it  may  not  wax  stronger  by  cooperation 
with  its  fellows.  Small  organizations  need  the  advice, 
assistance,  and  inspiration  that  come  from  consorting  with 
larger  and  more  experienced  bodies;  the  latter  will  attain 
fresh  vigor  by  coming  into  close  touch  with  institutions 
nearer  to  the  people. 

In  Iowa  and  Wisconsin,  cooperation  is  assured  by  making 
the  local  societies  auxiliaries  of  the  State  organization.  The 
latter  publishes  the  annual  reports  of  its  auxiliaries,  and  such 
of  those  papers  produced  by  members  of  the  local  bodies  as 
have  the  stamp  of  excellence  and  are  of  more  than  local  sig 
nificance.  At  meetings  of  the  State  body,  the  auxiliaries 
are  officially  represented,  and  frequent  correspondence  is 
encouraged  between  the  parent  society  and  its  offspring; 
indeed,  the  local  leaders  become  active  members,  as  well, 
of  the  former. 

Massachusetts  has  inaugurated  a  Bay  State  Historical 
League,  thus  far  composed  of  twenty-one  local  societies  in 
Middlesex  and  Essex  counties.  The  organization  was  formed 
at  Boston,  April  3,  1903,  its  objects  being  defined  as  fol 
lows: — (1)  "To  encourage  the  formation  of  historical  socie 
ties;  (2)  to  encourage  the  existing  historical  societies  in  the 
prosecution  of  historical  study  and  the  dissemination  of 
historical  knowledge,  in  the  institution  and  maintenance  of 
historical  memorials  and  anniversaries,  the  collection,  preser- 


19 

vation,  and  publication  of  historical  material,  ind  to  bring 
such  societies  into  a  closer  relation  with  one  another;  and 
(3)  otherwise  to  promote  historical  interests." 

Annual  meetings  are  held  at  historic  points,  with  ad 
dresses  of  prominent  persons,  pilgrimages  to  places  of  inter 
est,  and  informal  conferences  regarding  common  interests. 
It  is  hoped  that  by  thus  combining  their  forces,  the  several 
societies  in  the  league  may  stimulate  popular  interest  in  the 
history  of  their  region,  while  leaving  each  society  free  to 
work  out  its  own  problems. 

The  Pennsylvania  Federation  of  Historical  Societies,  or 
ganized  at  Harrisburg,  January  5,  1905,  is  of  State-wide 
scope,  but  apparently  confined  to  the  local  bodies.  Its 
announced  purpose  is:  u(l)  To  organize  historical  activity 
in  every  part  of  the  state  and  to  foster  it,  and  to  foster  that 
already  organized.  (2)  To  act  as  a  federation  bibliogra 
pher  for  its  component  societies.  (3)  At  regular  intervals, 
oTperiods,  to  bulletin  the  publications  of  its  component  so 
cieties,  and  to  conduct  an  exchange  of  said  bulletins."  The 
State  librarian,  the  Hon.  Thomas  L.  Montgomery,  is  taking 
an  active  interest  in  the  work,  and  thus  far  the  expenses  of 
the  federation  appear  to  have  been  made  a  matter  of  State 
charge. 

Upon  the  Pacific  Coast  are  several  active  State  historical 
societies,  notably  those  of  Oregon  and  Washington.  The 
Southwest  Society  of  the  Archaeological  Institute  of  Amer 
ica,  with  headquarters  at  Los  Angeles,  under  the  able  lead 
ership  of  Dr.  Charles  F.  Lummis  is  rapidly  coming  to  the 
front,  and  promises  soon  to  become  an  important  factor  in 
historical  research  in  this  interesting  region,  embracing 
Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  and  Southern  California. 


20 

The  conference  of  historical  societies  of  the  Pacific  Coast, 
conducted  at  Portland  in  the  third  week  of  August  last— 
and  participated  in  by  Messrs.  Shambaugh  and  Thwaites  of 
the  American  Historical  Association  committee  on  historical 
societies — was  a  spirited  gathering.  But  the  disadvantage 
arising  from  the  great  distances  between  the  several  centres 
of  far  Western  historical  activity  was  strongly  expressed, 
and  the  need  of  some  central  agency  of  cooperation  empha 
sized,  this  being  the  key-note  of  the  discussion.  There  was 
a  general  feeling  of  satisfaction  when  it  was  unanimously 
determined  to  utilize  the  Pacific  Coast  Branch  of  the  Amer 
ican  Historical  Association  as  such  common  medium.  Herein 
lie  large  opportunities  for  the  Branch,  and  it  is  sincerely 
hoped  that  its  managers  may  succeed  in  realizing  the  aspi 
rations  awakened  in  the  several  State  societies  by  this  new 
relationship. 

The  four  several  attempts  at  cooperation  above  enumer 
ated,  are  typical  and  suggestive: — (1)  An  attempt  to  coor 
dinate  the  work  of  a  limited  district  within  a  State  immensely 
rich  in  historical  material  and  opportunities;  (2)  a  federation 
of  the  local  historical  societies  of  an  entire  Commonwealth, 
independent  of  the  State  society;  (3)  a  system  whereby  local 
societies  are  admitted  as  auxiliaries  of  the  State  organization ; 
and,  (4)  a  suggestion  to  effect  cooperation  throughout  a  wide 
belt  of  historically -related  Commonwealths,  by  utilizing  a 
sectional  branch  of  the  American  Historical  Association. 

Still  another  form  of  cooperation  has,  on  motion  of  the 
Wisconsin  society,  recently  been  inaugurated  in  the  region 
of  the  upper  and  central  Mississippi  Valley.  That  institu 
tion  being  about  to  publish  a  bulletin  descriptive  of  its  own 


21 

manuscript  collections,  proposed  to  other  libraries,  societies, 
and  private  collectors  in  its  neighborhood,  to  append  thereto 
similar  descriptions  of  such  of  their  manuscripts  as  bear 
upon  American  history.  Favorable  responses  were  received 
from  the  Historical  and  Philosophical  Society  of  Ohio  (Cin 
cinnati),  the  Old  Northwest  Genealogical  Society  (Colum 
bus),  Mr.  C.  M.  Burton  of  Detroit,  the  Chicago  Historical 
Society,  the  Chicago  Public  Library,  the  Newberry  Library 
of  Chicago,  Mr.  Edward  E.  Ayer  of  Chicago,  the  Minne 
sota  Historical  Society  (St.  Paul),  the  State  Historical  So 
ciety  of  Iowa  (Iowa  City),  the  Missouri  Historical  Society 
(St.  Louis),  the  Mercantile  Library  of  St.  Louis,  the  State 
Historical  Society  of  Missouri  (Columbia),  and  the  Kansas 
Historical  Society  (Topeka).  The  publication  of  these 
lists  of  manuscripts  under  one  cover  and  commonly  indexed, 
will  of  course  prove  helpful  to  students  of  American  history 
by  enabling  them  to  ascertain  the  strength  of  nearly  all  the 
several  collections  in  the  upper  Mississippi  basin,  at  the 
minimum  expenditure  of  time  and  effort. 

It  is  hoped  by  the  Wisconsin  society  that  this  bulletin 
may  prove  suggestive  to  other  sections,  as  an  example  of 
one  form  of  possible  cooperation.1  Similar  cooperative  bib 
liographies  might  well  be  compiled  of  portraits,  broadsides, 
and  other  illustrative  matter,  and  check-lists  be  prepared  of 
rare  historical  works,  documentary  collections,  etc.  The 


1  So  long  ago  as  1897,  the  Wisconsin  society  published:  I.  S.  Bradley,  "Avail 
able  Material  for  the  Study  of  Institutional  History  of  the  Old  Northwest,"  Wis 
consin  Historical  Society  Proceedings,  1896,  pp.  115-143.  This  consisted  of  a 
list  of  the  statutes,  session  laws,  legislative  documents  and  journals,  journals  of 
constitutional  conventions,  and  newspaper  files  of  the  Old  Northwest  Territory 
and  of  the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin,  published 
prior  to  1851,  to  be  found  in  public  libraries  within  those  States. 


22 

example  set  by  the  libraries  of  Boston,  Washington,  and 
Chicago,  in  publishing  cooperative  lists  of  their  periodicals, 
may  well  serve  as  a  hint  for  the  historical  societies. 

The  Library  of  Congress,  acting  in  conjunction  with  the 
Carnegie  Institution's  Department  of  Historical  Research,  has 
now  fairly  entered  upon  its  great  task  of  securing  transcripts 
of  all  documents  in  European  archives  illustrative  of  Amer 
ican  history.  As  soon  as  this  material  is  available,  it  would 
be  quite  feasible  for  local  societies  in  any  State,  or  State 
societies  in  any  section,  to  join  forces  in  the  editing  and  pub 
lication  of  so  much  thereof  as  was  considered  common  to  the 
history  of  the  territory  embraced  in  such  federation.  A  un 
ion  for  the  purchase  or  transcription  of  such  other  materials 
as  did  not  come  within  the  scope  of  the  Washington  under 
taking  might  also  be  established.  Even  in  limited  sections, 
such  as  that  served  by  the  Bay  State  Historical  League,  a 
cooperative  bureau  would  doubtless  be  found  helpful,  espe 
cially  in  interesting  the  public. 

In  the  publication  of  documentary  material,  no  doubt 
there  has  occasionally,  in  neighboring  States,  been  more  or 
less  duplication.  There  have  been  instances  of  duplication 
between  State  and  local  societies  within  the  same  Common 
wealth,  arising  from  lack  of  agreement  as  to  their  respective 
fields.  Cooperation  would  tend  to  minimize  this  difficulty; 
yet  in  the  case  of  State- supported  societies  there  are  apt  to 
be  certain  official  barriers  to  perfect  cooperation — and  it  is 
open  to  question  whether  duplication  has  not  some  advan 
tages,  for  the  publications  of  one  State  are  not  as  a  rule 
freely  obtainable  by  students  in  another.  It  is,  however, 
important  that  there  should  be  some  common  understanding 


23 

in  these  matters,  in  order  that  what  is  done  shall  be  done 
intelligently  and  purposely. 

Indeed,  it  is  in  just  such  inter-society  conference  as  this, 
that  the  most  useful  cooperation  may  be  effected.  Within 
States,  no  doubt  organized  federations  like  those  of  Penn 
sylvania  and  Massachusetts  will  best  subserve  the  interests 
of  all  concerned,  and  secure  both  continuity  of  united  effort 
and  proper  differentiation;  but  between  State  societies,  it  is 
possible  that  in  most  cases  a  hard-and-fast  organization 
might  prove  less  useful  than  temporary  conventions  to  meet 
immediate  and  varying  needs. 

Another  form  of  cooperative  agreement  is  essential  be 
tween  historical  societies  and  public  libraries  working  within 
the  same  field.  As  already  noted,  many  local  societies  are 
quartered  in  the  buildings  of  such  libraries,  the  former 
being  granted  either  a  separate  library  and  museum  room, 
or  special  alcoves  in  the  book-stack.  Differentiation  is  thus 
easily  arranged,  and  each  institution  can  be  and  often  is  of 
great  benefit  to  the  other.  But  there  are  numerous  instances 
where  society  and  public  library  are  engaged  in  needless 
and  costly  duplication.  In  such  cases,  some  sort  of  affilia 
tion  should  certainly  be  entered  into. 

The  relations  between  State  historical  societies  and  State 
libraries  are  likewise  often  quite  lacking  in  definition.  Dif 
ferentiation  is  simple  in  those  Western  States,  like  Wiscon 
sin,  where  the  State  society,  acting  as  the  trustee  of  the 
Commonwealth,  conducts  what  is  in  effect  the  miscellaneous 
State  library,  the  nominal  State  library  being  simply  the 
law  library  of  the  Supreme  Court.  But  this  condition 
obtains  in  but  few  Commonwealths;  in  others,  agreements 


24 

have  yet  to  be  perfected,  by  which  these  two  agencies  of 
collection  shall  supplement  each  other  rather  than  duplicate. 

A  system  of  annual  reports  from  local  to  State  societies, 
would  be  desirable,  as  in  the  case  of  the  auxiliaries  in  Iowa 
and  Wisconsin.     On  the  other  hand,  similar  reports  from 
State  organizations  to  the  American  Historical  Association, 
although  not  provided  for  in  the  latter's  charter,   would 
surely  tend  to  arouse  more  general  interest  in  an  undertak 
ing  in  which  all  are  deeply  concerned.     At  present,  the 
work  of  the  societies  is  too  largely  individual  and  to  that 
extent  narrow;  it  sorely  needs  unifying,  sectionally  and  na 
tionally.    Federated  relationship,  organized  or  unorganized 
would,  in  our  opinion,  strengthen  the  hands  of  all,  from  the 
national  body  to  that  of  the  smallest  historical  society  in 
the  land. 

Until  the  u round  table"  conference  at  Chicago,  in  1904, 
several  of  the  most  important  of  the  State  societies  were 
quite  unrepresented  at  the  sessions  of  the  American  Histor 
ical  Association.  Very  likely  this  has  been  the  fault  of  the 
Association  quite  as  much  as  theirs;  for  in  the  former's  pro 
grammes  scant  attention  has  hitherto  been  paid  to  the 
serious  problems  confronting  State  and  local  societies — sup 
port,  organization,  scope,  methods,  and  co-operation.  The 
Council  of  the  American  Historical  Association  has,  how 
ever  wisely  created  a  section  devoted  to  these  matters,  and 
its  successive  annual  conferences  will  doubtless  bear  rich 
fruitage. 

REUBEN  GOLD  THWAITES 
WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 
MADISON 


Lithomount 
Pamph/et 

Binder 
Gaylord  Bros 
_.      Makers 
Stockton,  Calif 
MT.  JAN  21. 


